A speaker or writer can use exactly the same words to say something he means as completely true, as generally true, or as a hyperbole. This is why it can be hard to decide how to understand a statement.
* It rains here every night.
1. The speaker means this as literally true if he means that it really does rain here every night.
1. The speaker means this as a generalization if he means that it rains here most nights.
1. The speaker means this as a hyperbole if he wants to say it rains more than it actually does, usually in order to express a strong attitude toward the amount of rain, such as being annoyed or being happy.
**Hyperbole**: This is a figure of speech that uses **exaggeration**. A speaker deliberately describes something by an extreme or even unreal statement, usually to show his strong feeling or opinion about it. He expects people to understand that he is exaggerating.
**Generalization:** This is a statement that is true most of the time or in most situations that it could apply to. Sometimes when people use strong-sounding words like "all," "always," "none," or "never," they mean exactly "all," "always," "none," or "never." But when people use these words in a generalization, they simply mean "most, "most of the time," "hardly any" or "rarely."
### Reasons this is a translation issue
1. Readers need to be able to understand whether or not a statement is completely true.
1. If readers realize that a statement is not completely true, they need to be able to understand whether it is a hyperbole, a generalization, or a lie. (Though the Bible is completely true, it tells about people who did not always tell the truth.)
* Jesus used hyperbole to show how extremely important it is to stop sinning. He did not mean that people should actually cut off their hand, but that we should <u>do whatever</u> we need to do in order not to sin.
>The Philistines gathered together to fight against Israel, with thirty thousand chariots, six thousand men to drive the chariots, and troops <u>as numerous as the sand on the seashore</u>. (1 Samuel 13:5 ULB)
* The author of 1 Samuel used hyperbole to show that there were <u>many, many</u> soldiers in the Philistine army. It showed the great danger that the Israelites were in.
* Stephen used the word "all" in a generalization about Moses' education. It means that Moses learned much of what the Egyptians knew and taught, not every single thing.
* Jesus' disciples used the word "everyone" in a generalization about who was looking for him. They did not mean that every person in the city was looking for him, but that <u>many people</u> were looking for him, or that all of Jesus' closest friends there were looking for him.
* John used the word "everything" in a generalization about what God teaches his people. God teaches us about <u>all things that we need to know</u>, not about absolutely everything.
If the exaggeration or generalization would be natural and people would understand it and not think that it is a lie, consider using it. If not, here are other options.
1. Express the meaning without the exaggeration.
1. For a generalization, show that it is a generalization by using a phrase like "in general" or "in most cases."
1. For a generalization, add a word like "most" or "almost" to show that the generalization is not exact.
1. For a generalization that has a word like "all," always," "none," or "never," consider deleting that word.
### Examples of Translation Strategies Applied
1. Express the meaning without the exaggeration.
* **... thirty thousand chariots, six thousand men to drive the chariots, and troops <u>as numerous as the sand on the seashore</u>.** (1 Samuel 13:5 ULB)
* ... thirty thousand chariots, six thousand men to drive the chariots, and <u>a great number of troops</u>.
1. For a generalization, show that it is a generalization by using a phrase like "in general" or "in most cases."
* **The one who ignores instruction will have poverty and shame ...** (Proverbs 13:18 ULB)
*<u>In general,</u> the one who ignores instruction will have poverty and shame ...
* **When you pray, do not make useless repetitions as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.** (Matthew 6:7)
* When you pray, do not make useless repetitions as the Gentiles <u>generally</u> do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words.
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